‘Evening Sun’ takes a top honor from Southeastern film critics

Photo by Wade Payne // Buy this photo

Actor Hal Holbrook during filming of "That Evening Sun" in August 2008 in Rockford, Tenn

Photo by Wade Payne

Actor Hal Holbrook during filming of "That Evening Sun" in August 2008 in Rockford, Tenn

“That Evening Sun,” a film shot in and around Knoxville, has collected another accolade, winning the Wyatt Award from the Southeastern Film Critics Association.

The Wyatt, given in memory of the late critic Gene Wyatt of the Tennessean in Nashville, goes to a film “that best embodies the essence of the South,” according to SEFCA president Matt Brunson of Charlotte, N.C. Written and directed by Scott Teems, “That Evening Sun” was nominated earlier this month for two Independent Spirit awards and has won numerous prizes at film festivals this year. Hal Holbrook stars as an elderly farmer who breaks out of a nursing home and clashes with the neighbor (Ray McKinnon) who has moved into his house. The film opens Jan. 22 at Downtown West.

SEFCA announced the winners of its 18th annual awards on Monday, choosing director Jason Reitman’s timely “Up in the Air” as Best Picture. That film also earned George Clooney the Best Actor prize for his portrayal of a hired gun who crisscrosses the country to fire people and won Best Adapted Screenplay for Reitman and Sheldon Turner’s adaptation of Walter Kim’s novel. SEFCA aimed high this year, with Pixar’s “Up” winning Best Animated Film.

Meryl Streep was named Best Actress for her portrayal of legendary chef Julia Child in “Julie & Julia,” with newcomer Gabourey Sidibe as the runner-up for her work as an abused, pregnant teenager in “Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire.” Jeremy Renner, who detonated bombs in the Iraq War drama “The Hurt Locker,” placed second for Best Actor.

In the supporting categories, Christoph Waltz of “Inglourious Basterds” and Mo’Nique of “Precious” won top honors, and Woody Harrelson of “The Messenger” and Anna Kendrick of “Up in the Air” were runners-up.

Reitman was runner-up for Best Director to Kathryn Bigelow for “The Hurt Locker,” while the “Hurt Locker” script by Mark Boal placed second to Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber’s “(500) Days of Summer” in the Best Original Screenplay category. “Fantastic Mr. Fox” earned Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach second place in the adapted-screenplay race in addition to taking second in the animated-film category.

France’s “Summer Hours” was named Best Foreign-Language Film, with “The White Ribbon” from Germany in second place. “Food, Inc.” beat out “The Cove” for Best Documentary. “Goodbye Solo” was runner-up for the Wyatt Award.

SEFCA’s Top 10 films are: “Up in the Air,” “The Hurt Locker,” “Up,” “Inglourious Basterds,” “A Serious Man,” “(500) Days of Summer,” “Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire,” “The Messenger,” “Fantastic Mr. Fox” and “District 9.”

Established in 1992, SEFCA is comprised of journalists from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. This year, 44 members voted in the awards poll.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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